Midcentury Newsreel
Vintage orchestral scores hearkening back to post-war society filled with promise and propaganda (MOPM-092)
Imagine, if you will, a booming post-war society. Prosperous decades full of life-changing inventions, new must-have products, sleek and shiny convertible automobiles, perfectly manicured lawns, and the promise of domestic bliss as seen in Norman Rockwell paintings.
Though there may be the ever-looming threat of nuclear war, everything is hunky dory as long as the hamster wheels of progress keep spinning away.
The vintage orchestral scores of Midcentury Newsreel (MOPM-092) form a soundtrack to match the hope and hustle of a bygone era. Exciting, whimsical arrangements reflect the mindset of a generation that is often shown through the lens of archival films, black and white TV ads, and newsreels.
This album includes archival mixes that can drop straight into period pieces, as well as restored audio mixes for modern placements in film and TV. As with all of our Modus Operandi albums, multiple titles are designed to work together with complimentary tempo, pacing, or key. This is especially helpful for editors working with longer form or episodic programming.
Tracks like “That’s Showbiz Kid” and “Another Perfect Day” have clear applications with era-specific shows where a teacher projects a lesson onto a white sheet, showcasing the wonders of the periodic table, the presidential fitness test, or how to properly hide under your desk during nuclear attack drills. Satirical productions and ads channeling the oddly playful, yet frantic pace of life portrayed by woodwinds and strings, will also find no shortage of options. After all, it is the age of abundance and capitalism at work.
Crate diggers and library music aficionados who love quirky vintage labels (such as KPM Brownsleeves) know that this style of orchestral music has been in demand for decades. For many, it conjures plucky and wholesome images of The Andy Griffith Show or Leave It To Beaver… while shows like Ren & Stimpy, Monty Python, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and The Simpsons have all demonstrated that the variety of possible comedic applications is limited only by your imagination. Even videogames like Fallout show additional ways to capitalize on these bright and busy sounds, utilizing the historical and cultural connection that this music has to that time period.
Used ironically or within period appropriate settings, the sounds of Midcentury Newsreel can add all the character, dreams, and pace of a post-war society to a production. Not everything is what it seems, but on the surface things look pretty darn swell… for now.
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